Housing support



Jan. 8, 1935. J. RiTTER, JR

HOUSING SUPPORT Filed May 1, 1935 Jl, {MINIZZ} ,MINI

|l h, O l H W m n 3 r/F/hntz Il l Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED "sT'A'iss PA*'rlNTl OFFICE- Julius RittenJr., Racine, Wis., assignor to Hartmann Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation ofVWisconsin Application May 1, 1933, serial No. 668,690

8 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in more specifically housing supports, and relates to improvements in the conimproved support movable closure for a housing having relatively sections, which will facilitate the container.

To provide an improved base for a wardrobe -typeofluggage carrier, which will enable easy loading and unloading ofthe carrier,r and which will also facilitate movement. ofthe container over the floor. A

, To provide an improved'supportfortrunksfor the like, which may be readily manufactured and applied to standard trunks as accessory, {withi,out interfering wi th the storage'space.V Y

To provide animproved cabinet'base which is simple, compact a nd durable in construction, and

which is highly effective both aV supporti 'for the cabinet and as a means for facilitating opening and closing thereof. l Y

Theser and other. objects and advantages will be apparent from tion.

the following det fled Adescrip- A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the mode of constructing and of manipulating housing supports builtin accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a partV of this `specification in which like referencercharacters designate the same or similar` parts in the various views:

' Fig. 1 is a top two section wardr openv in lines;

view lof the lower portion of a obe trunk, showing thev sections full lines, and closed'in dot and dash Fig. 2vis a front elevation of the lower trunk vportion showing the sectionsA swung into open position and looking into the interiors thereof; Fig. 3 is arbottom view of the trunk showing the closure sections, swung into open position, and

also showing the s lines;

upporting base inrdot-and-dash f1 is a full bottom viewvof lthe-trunk and base with the closure sections swung into closed position, the bottom plate of the base having been partly removed; f

Fig. 5 is a radial section through the forwardv 5 portion of the base and trunk, taken along the line 5 -`5 of Fig, 4;- and 1 Fig. 6 is another radial section through the rear portion of thebase andv trunk, taken along r the line y6-.6Y of Fig. 4. y c

.While the invention has been illustrated and described herein as being specioallyappled to a two-section wardrobe trunk wherein garments are capable of being hung vertically, it is not intended to limit thevscope by such specific disclosure, and some ofthe novel features are obviously more *generallyv applicableA to housings of various types and-to supports therefor. y c

Referring to the drawing, the trunk maybe of the standard or conventional two section type havingy garment hangingl space in one portion thereof and having drawers'or the like in an. other portion thereof, :andcomprises a section 10 pivotally attached to a section lloby vmeansv of hinges 12, and latches 13 for` locking the sections 10,711 in closed position.V The improved Support or base structurewhichis common -toboth'sections 10, 11 of the housing, may/be attached as an accessoryv to any such conventional; two section-wardrobe trunk, and comprises a circular top base plate 1,4k having six anti-frictionv or` ball bearings `15 mounted thereon and also4 having three rectilineal slots 16, 17, 18 theren,'and a composite bottom ring or plate 19`detachably at,- tached to thelower part of the plate 14. by-means` of rscrews l20 or the like. The baseand bottom plates 14, 19wn1ay be formed ofrsheet metal, and the ball bearings 15 may be of standard caster construction comprising a ballrotatably conned within a sheet metal socket. The trunk sections 10,111-are provided with rigidly attached lower bearing plates 21, 22 respectively, which rest di' yrectly upon the ball bearings 15 and along which the respective bearing balls travel during swinging of the sections 10, 11 as indicated by the path lines 23'in Fig. 3.v Depending .from the bearing plates-21, 22, are three guide elements or pins y 24, 25, .26 which extend into and are movable along the slots 16, 17, 18 respectively, and each of these pins has an enlarged ,lower head 2'lfor 50 .preventing the same from being withdrawn from the adjacent slot. Each of the pins 24,25, 26, is moreover embraced by a set of vroller bearings 28 which coact with the upper and'lower surfaces of the base plate la adjacent to the slots 16, 17, 18 in order to insurev free travel of the pins locking strips` 33 having outwardly extending@ flanges 34' adapted to enter peripheral ,inwardly open recesses 35 formed in an elevated'portion:

' 36 at the rear of the baseplate. Vi,This Yconstruct closed coaction, the ilanges 31,` 34 interlock with the recesses 32, 35 respectively torigidlyrattachi-. the base to the trunk, while atth 'saine time"` L-minim'urr'l cost.

presenting a peripherally smooth andinished appearance for the base structure. The lower ring' plate u 19 of: "tlleba's'e3` may? falso' coact Lil'vi'th a protective 'ller plate '137 `as"shoil'vir'i` in Figs".`v 5 and 6 in' o'rderto thoroughlyconceal vandprotect the motion transmitting mechani'srnjand the bottom ring plate 19 mayialsofbe-providod yyith i button supports y38 as indicated in the drawing. ,i

The improved base structure? andvmotion'tra'nsmitting; mechanism; may be readily vapplied' -to the 'corresponding endsofthe fsectiens`-1`6',1-1 of standard wardrobe ytrunk; by merelyjattachlng the bearing Jplat-es` y21",-22, to the sections-110,3' 11 With the aidk Of -SC1"vl/s,-`bolts-or vvet's,"faldthe locking strips 3'3- andfp'ins f2 25,126 Linlay-be' rigidly vattached Ato the-platesl21y22wliile the pins 24, 25, 26A areret'ihed `'il/ithiiithe slots 116,- 17,v lflbyV the heads 27E After theibase @structure has beenA thus applied-fte the `truiikjtlie-sectiozis 10, 1l` are freely relatively swingablefaboutithe hinges 9152, and'the*rnoticnofI one closure -section is always A4'transmitted'L 'to' theA "otheriitliroigh, the motion transmitting mechanism? boih'pi'sing'tlie pins y24:, 25, 26 icoactifng'f with-thefyslotsf16, v"117 ,518 respectively iny the base"plate""1.4.r` 'The-weight of the trunk audits loadis saisies-oy tho'ilgali'hoas` ings 'c'oactingwithi'the bearingfpl'ats,2315622, and 'the ball 'bearings/28 eli"liniaal-,e Aerc'e'ssii're rief tional resistance to movement off theJpins-'jzijzg VA26 alosn'githeslots "16,17, 18.1 i i Y When the'sec'tic'vns 10 1`1`A are swung yfrom'closed position a-'sshown iri'dctindi-'dashlines'infFigf-ll, to open position as shown full lines, 'the pins 24,' 26l move 'from they 'innerlfxtremities of 'the slots- 16, 418 respectivelytoward the"(i'uter'extrenv ities thereof,l and the-'pin l425 si'inultaneouslymoves outwardlytoward the outer'extreinty of the-'centr'al slot'-`17,-` Pressure applied `Kto either'clsure section -10, "T11" to produce swinging movement thereof, Willfobviously result in similar'btoppositemotio offtheother section, and wlienthe trunk-has been fully openedfthelpinsu, 2 6 'will be in the extreme outerend'sf'ofthe' sl'ts 16,--18 respectively, whilethepi 2 5 Will be""at thefex treme 'inner' or' forward end of lthe `'relnainiri'g slot -17 as illustratedin Figl- -1'. 'f Upon closing of the container', 4the pins 24,- 25,26 Awill obyiously travel in reverse i directions within fthir Y respective slots1`6, 17, 518 "andlwhenpthe *sectionslm 'll-fhave been completely closed, 'theV pins "24, 26 will be positioned at theextrerneiiner ends ofthe slots316, v1'3 respectivelyfwhereas the pinBSW-'ill vrepose at the -fextrernei'rear'or"outer endjof `the central slot 17T. -During'such opening anifcl'osh ing movement ofV closure i sections iliyjljll` the hinges i2 will travel lfo'iyirarally anu'jrearyyardiy 'in paths substantially "parallel toit'hec'entraiislot 17, and the base will always provide a stable support for the sections 10, 11 whether open or closed. The ball bearings lcoacting with the bearing plates 21, 22 will define paths substantially as indicated by the lines 23 in Fig.r 3, and when the trunk is closed, the anges 3l, 34 of the strips 30, 33 respectively, will nterlockwith the recesses 32-,j3optthebase to eliminate'fall` looseness of partsand izo-present a neatfappearancegxy From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the invention provides an extremely compact and durable base structure for facilitating'openlng and closing of a trunk or the like,

A`aridyfor permitting movement of the container tion is such that when thrall-sections,,ogjlliare1n.;-

`rivelano.floortr,'Ihef-various parts of the base or supportrmaybe. formed of sheet metal with the aidsofv punches and dies, in order to provide a rigid vbut" light 'structure which may be produced at The cost of construction can also bereduced byutilizing standard ball bearings 15, 728, and these bearings permithconve'nient Inanipula'tion `ofthe sections '10, 11. rThe space occupied by thebase structure i's obviously no greater than lthat'occupied by the when closed,4 and this base obviously prevents-possible tipping of the sections 10, ll Whenopen'and pern'i'its'fjni'ost convenient 'access to the interior-'sof these A' sections.' l The 'improvement' .has proven highly successful 'as applied to wardrobe trunk structun'es', but is obviously more generally.iilppllh cable to othertypes of'contain'ers hayinghingedly connected closure sections. Y f i It 'should be-linderstoodl that it isnot desired'- to limit the invention to the'exact details oftco'm `struction Vandoperationherein shown andde- Al." A housing support comprising; a base' Vfmfrxr'd symmetrical about 'la' central vertical axisdis'-y -ubstahtilly ab the (tenter of gravity fof 'the base, a housing comprising relatively 'movable sectionsfsecurelto-saidlbase, said housing when closed "di'sposed concentric with -sa'.`id axis and cor'iip yetefly covering* and j interlocking with said ,baseiariiif when `openfhavrg*the interlock released andthe center oifgra'vity of the housing iiijsposjedrearwardly of thebas'e axis and within saidbase, andfrnechanisminterposed between said base and said sections and constantly lo cated within the confines 'of said,base Afor causing sai-d sections to partake ayclen'nite path during -openin'g'and closing-of sai-d housing. A2. A housing support comprising, a circular base having jacentral vertical axis "disposedv sub- 'stantially,at the'ic'enteriof gravity thereof ya; sub# stantially square' yhou's'ir'rg comprising relatively larticulable half "sections movably j attachedV i' 'said base, saidy housing when,fclosedfbeing'disfposed concentric with` said'V axis' and comple'tely `covering and interlocking peripherallywi-th 'said -taiugularA sections oaoh slit/'inganno through a quad,-

rant arc and secured to said base, said housing YS when closed completely covering and interlocking peripherally with said base and when open having the interlock released and the housing sections substantially alined and disposed across said base rearwardly of said axis, and mechanism interposed between said base and said housing for causing the swinging motion of one section to be imparted to the other.

4. A housing support comprising, a substantially circular base having three slots therein disposed at oblique angles to each other, a housing comprising hingedly connected sections swingable through substantially quadrant arcs during opening and closing of the housing, and three pins carried by said sections and coacting with said slots to cause the motion of one section to be imparted to the other, two of said pins being supported by one of said sections.

5. A housing support comprising, a substantially circular base, a housing comprising hing# edly connected sections secured to said base and movable through substantially quadrant arcs to open and close said housing, and means for causing the ends of said sections to interlock with the periphery of said base when said housing is closed.

6. A housing support comprising, a base having three slots therein disposed at oblique angles to each other, a housing comprising hingedly connected sections swingable through arcs during opening and closing of the housing, and three pins carried by said sections and coacting with said slots to cause the motion of one section to be imparted to the other, at least two of said pins being supported by one of said sections.

7. A housing support comprising, a base, a housing comprising hingedly connected sections secured to said base and movable through an arc to open and close said housing, and means for` causing the ends of said sections to interlock with said base when said housing is closed.

8. A housing support comprising, a base having three slots therein disposed at oblique angles to each other, a housing comprisingvhingedly connected sections swingable `through arcs during opening and closing of the housing, three pins carried by said sections and coacting 'with said slots to cause the motion of one section to be imparted to theother, ltwo of said pins being supported by one of said sections, and means for causing the ends of said sections to interlock with said base when said housing is closed.

J ULIUS RITTER, JR. 

